12 May Fall Fundraiser to provide free programs to children with autism and their peers

Vancouver, B.C., Canada – Friend 2 Friend announces a fall fundraiser to benefit children with autism and their peers with free Play Centre programs.

“What do you remember most about childhood? The answer is almost always friends,” says McCracken founder and executive director of Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society. “Friendships are what motivate us to get up in the morning and go to school and to work. Imagine what it must be like for a child on the autism spectrum to never be invited to play after school or go to a birthday party.”

These elements of loneliness and exclusion are exactly what Friend 2 Friend seeks to address. The Vancouver based, non-government funded, not-for-profit charity facilitates friendships and peer social relationships between children with autism and their peers. Last September the decade-old organization launched their state-of-art play centre in East Vancouver and started offering their centre based Integrated Play Groups programs. “The Centre based programs, like all Friend 2 Friend Programs, are offered to families at 1/3 of the cost to the Society. But for many families any fee is too much, so the Society does its best to offer families in need our programs completely free of charge,” says McCracken.

In order to further this goal, Friend 2 Friend is hosting the 2013 Integrated Play Conference on September 27th and 28th atVancouver Hillel, UBC. This fundraising conference, featuring peer play expert Dr. Pamela Wolfberg (Professor at San Francisco State University), will offer attendees the opportunity to learn the principles and practices of the Friend 2 Friend – Integrated Play Groups program. At the same time, help raise funds to supply children with autism and their families unique and innovative programs completely free of charge.

Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society was founded in 2002 by Heather McCracken — a parent of three, including a son who has autism. The nonprofit charity provides innovative social, communication, peer play and friendship programs to children on the autism spectrum and with related needs throughout B.C., Canada, the United States and internationally.

For more information visit our online press room at www.friend2friendsociety.org/contact/press-room or contact us at: